Threatened
by wrongaccount
Summary: Like I said on my other stories - I am not good with summaries. BRANDTxOC. Emma gets threatened to go against her old mentor Ethan Hunt and his team which includes William Brandt, an Agent she once loved.
1. The Threat

**AN: Yes another Jeremy Renner character based fanfic. What can I say, I love Jeremy Renner. Please leave reviews. Next chapter will be longer.**

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**CHAPTER ONE:**

**The Threat.**

Emma woke up to a noise coming from her living room. She slid her hand under her pillow and retrieved the gun she had hidden under there. She got out of bed and made her way out of her room, careful not to be heard. She pointed her gun in front of her, ready to shoot if she need to. She advanced towards the living room quietly.

She got to the living room and swung her gun around looking for the cause of the noise. She still kept her gun in front of her even when she couldn't see or hear the cause of noise. She was about to lower her gun when she felt the nozzle of a gun press against the back of her head.

"Drop it and I won't shoot," A raspy but calm voice told her.

She lowered the gun, dropping it to the floor. She would have fought back but she was still healing from an injury she had received on her last mission.

"I need you to do something for me," the voice said again.

"And what if I don't?" she asked him. The gun was still pressed against the back of her head.

"I will kill everyone that you love," he told her. "Including that Agent you had fallen in love with."

"You wouldn't dare," she frowned when he mentioned the only guy she had ever loved.

"Oh I would," the guy said pressing the gun harder against her head. "I have a person outside your parent's house watching every move they make, I have a person watching your sister and her kids, I also have a person watching your dear older brother and his gorgeous Italian girlfriend, and a person keeping a very close eye on Agent lover boy."

"What do you want?" she asked him. She didn't want to believe him but she didn't want to risk it either.

"I want you to get re-equated with your former mentor, Ethan Hunt and his semi new team which includes lover boy," he told her. "And I want you to report back to me with everything they know about my brother and their plans to capture them."

"Does your brother know they are after him?" she asked.

"He does but I am the one in charge of making sure he doesn't get captured and you are going to help me, Emma Malone, whether you like it or not," he said. Emma could tell he was frowning.

"What if I tell them what's happening?" she asked him, curiously.

"I will kill you along with everyone I'm threatening to kill," he said simply.

She knew this was going to be hard. 8 years ago, Ethan Hunt had become Emma's mentor and had trained her to the best of her abilities. She felt like she was about to betray him. He also wasn't hard to fool, but Emma knew she didn't have a choice.

She sighed giving in. "Fine. Give me Hunt's location and I'll do the rest," she told him.

She felt the gun leave her head. The man gave her the location of Ethan and his team before he left without another word.

Emma sighed again making her way over to her small dining room table. She sat down, went onto her laptop and she booked a plane ticket under one of her fake aliases. When that was done she stood up and walked to her bedroom. She packed for her reunion with her former mentor, the agent who had stolen her heart and Rome.


	2. Rome

**A/N: Sorry for not updating sooner. I was trying to get a couple of stories out of the way. Please leave your reviews and I'll try and get the next chapter up soon.**

**CHAPTER TWO**

**Rome.**

Emma stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her petite body. She went to grab another towel to dry her hair when she heard the door to the safe house open and slam shut. Ethan and his team weren't due back for another 20 minutes. She grabbed her gun from the basin counter. She went to sneak out of the bathroom when she came face to face with two guns. One gun belonged to a tall, tanned woman who looked like she wouldn't hesitate to shoot Emma between the eyes if she had too. The other gun belonged to none other than William Brandt, the agent she let herself fall in love with.

"Who are you and why are you here?" the woman questioned Emma, not taking her eyes off her or lowering her gun.

It was Will who answered her. "She is IMF Agent Emma Malone but I have no clue to why she is here."

"You know her, Brandt?" the woman asked him.

"I use to," he said lowering his gun but never took his eyes of the 5ft 3 agent standing in front of him.

"Trust is an issue for me so I never answer to people I don't know," Emma told the woman who still had her gun pointed at her.

"Jane Carter," the woman said simply. "Now you know who I am."

"Only your name, not whether I like you or not," Emma frowned at her. "Now would you mind lowering your weapon before I do it for you?"

Jane frowned and lowered her gun.

"Why are you here, Emma?" Will asked bringing her attention back to him.

"I'm here to see Ethan," she told him.

"Why do you need to see Ethan?" Jane asked her.

"If it's not too much to ask for, can I get dressed before I have to answer any more questions?" she asked Will ignoring Jane's question.

Will nodded.

Emma turned around and walked back into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She could hear Jane mumble something to Will. She rolled her eyes and got dressed. She went to walk out of the bathroom but once again came face to face with Will as soon as she opened the door.

"Why are you really here?" he asked, whispering loud enough for only her to hear.

"Like I told Carter, I'm here to see Ethan," she whispered back to him.

"That's bullshit, Emma," he frowned.

"Then you tell me why I am here since seeing Ethan isn't a good enough reason for you," she frowned back at him.

"There is always an ulterior motive with you when you come out of nowhere," he said.

"Maybe there isn't this time. Maybe I just need Ethan's help with something," she said. She was telling him the truth in a way.

"What trouble did you get yourself into this time?" he asked.

"What makes you think I am in some sort of trouble?" she asked him. She hated that she couldn't tell him what was really happening and how she was doing what she was doing to protect him. "I could just need information Ethan might have on someone I am following."

"There's a thing called a phone, you could have used that," Will said. "But lucky for you Ethan just got back with Benji," he added walking towards the small living area.

Emma followed him seeing Ethan talking to the woman and Benji. All three of them looked up when Will and Emma walked into the room.

"Emma?" Ethan asked seeing her. He had to make sure it was her.

She looked different from the last time he saw her. She didn't have the body of the teenager he had trained and mentored eight years ago. She had gotten curvier but the curves were in the right places. Her natural long blonde hair had been cut short and dyed black. She was far from the 17 year old he used to know. She was all woman now.

"I barely recognize you," he added smiling.

"I've grown a little and changed a few things," she smiled back at him.

"You look good," he told her.

"Didn't you say you need to see Ethan about something?" Will spoke up, interrupting the reunion.

"I was about to get to that," Emma said frowning towards Brandt, both their greyish blue eyes meeting each other's.

"Is everything okay, Emma?" Ethan asked her.

Emma turned her attention back to Ethan. "I'd be lying if I said yes. There is something I need to speak to you about... Privately," she told him.

"Let's go for a walk then, Ethan said making his way to the door.

Emma followed him as he walked out of the safe house.

When Emma and Ethan had left the building Jane turned to Will. "How do you know her?" she asked him.

Will could now feel Benji's eyes on him also.

Benji knew Emma through Ethan but he didn't know Will had known her also.

Will sighed as he sat down. "We worked a mission together," he told her.

"There has to be more to it," Jane said. "I saw the way you looked at her."

"Something happened between her and I but it's none of your business," he frowned at her.

He couldn't admit to his fellow agents he had fallen in love an agent he had once worked with especially when that agent had broken his heart by breaking her promise to keep in contact with him when they went their separate ways.


	3. Sharing a Bed

**CHAPTER THREE**

**Sharing a Bed**

Emma walked through the safe house door with Ethan after their walk and talk. Emma noticed it was only Benji and Jane sitting there in the living room.

"Where's Brandt?" Ethan asked before Emma opened her mouth to ask the same thing.

"He said he was going to lie down and walked through the door," Benji spoke, pointing to the only door that was across the room from him.

"All of us should probably get some sleep. We leave for Naples early tomorrow morning," Ethan told the three of them. "Emma you can either bunk in with Brandt or Carter," he added before walking down the hall to where the other bedrooms were.

Out the corner of her eye, Emma could see Jane frown at her. Emma rolled her eyes and picked up her bag. She walked to the room Benji had pointed to a few moments ago. She'd rather spend the night in the same room with her ex-lover then share a room with a woman who could most likely kill her in her sleep.

"Looks like I am bunking with you again," Emma heard Benji say as she walked into the room and closed the door behind her.

She dropped her bag when she saw there was only one single bed in the room. She sighed looking at Will lying on his back with his eyes closed. Maybe sharing a room with someone who's most likely to kill you wasn't a bad idea after all.

Emma pulled out a pair of sleeping shorts and a tank top to get changed into. She looked back and when she was confident enough that Will was asleep, she started to get changed.

She was completely oblivious to Will opening his eyes to see who was in the room with him. He watched Emma as she got changed. In that short amount of time he had noticed what had changed about her. He had noticed the changes in her body shape. He had noticed the scar on the left side of her back, near her kidney was. And he had noticed her latest tattoo. It was a simple VS, her star sign, just below her neck. Emma's tattoos were just one of the many things that attracted him to her.

He closed his eyes as Emma turned around so she wouldn't catch him awake and looking at her. He listened to her move around. He opened his eyes again, this time pretending to wake up, and looked over at her to see she had gotten the cushions he had thrown off the bed earlier and placed them in a line. She had a blanket in her hand and was about to lie down.

"What are you doing?" he asked, mumbling.

"Going to sleep," she told him like it was the most obvious thing.

"You don't have to sleep on the floor," he sighed.

"Are you going to?" she asked looking at him.

"No," he said and before he even stopped himself, he suggested something he would regret straight away. "We can share the bed. We use to share tighter spaces then this when we worked together."

Emma looked at him like he had gone crazy.

Will sighed noticing the look she was giving him. "look, it's comfier then a pile of lumpy cushions on the floor and if it gets awkward, I'll go and sleep somewhere else."

"Fine," she said giving in. She got up from the cushions, pulling the blanket with her. She walked over to the bed and got on it next to Will. She pulled the blanket over the both of them.

Will looked slightly surprised by what she had done. She knew she didn't have to buy she did so anyway.

"I don't want you getting cold," she lied seeing the look on his face. Truth was, she was just realizing how much she missed being close to him.

Will could see through her little lie but didn't question it. He stayed lying on his back and watched her lie on her side, her back facing him. He looked back up at the ceiling, sleep overtaking him shortly after.

Emma woke up the next morning to find a weight on her side. She turned over and came face to face with a sleeping William Brandt. He looked peaceful in his sleep despite how much unresolved feelings would have surfaced when she showed up. She knew she had hurt him badly when she didn't respond to him trying to contact her. Her missions were a lot tougher than she had expected and if she had blown her undercover operations she knew the person who she was tracking would go as low as killing her loved ones. That included Will. In her eyes she was protecting him, just like she was now.


	4. Naples

**A/N: Once again I am sorry for the delay in update. I have been busy and still don't have my own laptop back. Anyway read and review. I'll try update more often.**

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**Naples**

Emma, Ethan and his team made it to Naples safely. Emma still hadn't had a phone call from the man that was threatening her. She was worried about when she would receive the phone call because now that she was a part of Ethan's team it meant that she had to 'help' them with the mission that she was meant to ruin.

Today she and Will had to go undercover as a newly married couple exploring Italy for their honeymoon. Neither of them was fond of the idea. Ethan knew their history and it was obvious to him that Will and Emma still had unresolved feelings for each other.

Emma walked out of the bathroom in a white summer dress and white flat sandals. She was wearing a headband that matched her dress and wore little makeup. Will always thought Emma was a natural beauty and didn't need makeup, Emma always insisted that she wore a little.

"Now you both remember what you have to do?" Ethan asked the duo. Will's attention turned back to Ethan and then went back to Emma as she spoke.

"We walk around the markets acting like a couple until we spot our target," she started to say.

"Then we follow him to the hotel and book a room closest to the room he books for him and his associates," Will continued looking back at Ethan.

"When you are in the room you booked you call me and me and Jane will do what we have to with Benji's help," Ethan finished.

"So are we ready to go?" Emma asked Ethan.

Ethan nodded. "Keep safe and out of sight. Also remember to act all in love," he told the 'couple' as they walked to the door.

Emma lifted her hand, flashing the fake engagement and wedding rings she had on as they walked out the door.

Will and Emma got to the markets. They hadn't spoken a word on the way there. Will took his sunglasses off his head and placed them over his eyes. "Let's get this over with," he said as they started walking through the market. Emma felt a little offended by his words.

They eventually stopped at one stall that sold jewellery and accessories. The owner of the store was a little Old Italian lady and her husband. Emma gave them a friendly smile and noted how in love they looked even though the only sign of affection that was there was the husbands arm was around his wife's shoulders.

Emma stood close to Will, keeping in character. People around them had to believe they were in love. She felt Will's arm leave its place around her shoulders. After that she felt his hand on her lower back. She found herself leaning into his touch when she saw a sapphire blue butterfly brooch that reminded her of her grandmothers. She had, had a special bond with her grandmother as she grew up. Seeing the brooch brought back memories of the times she spent with her grandmother and her untimely death.

Will noticed Emma hadn't stopped staring at the brooch she had just spotted. He could tell she was thinking about something and her head wasn't 100% in the game like it should be.

"Do you want to get it, babe?" Will asked her staying in character. His arm went back around Emma's shoulders, His hand giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

He saw Emma nod her head and told the elderly couple that he would buy the brooch. He pulled out his wallet to pay for it. Emma went to stop him saying she'll pay for it. Will shook his head no. "I know you hate me buying you things but last time I checked a husband is allowed to buy his beautiful wife a gift that will be passed down through their family," he said.

Emma was stunned by his words. He was an incredible actor.

"You two are not from Italy?" the woman asked the couple as she wrapped the brooch in something to keep it safe.

"No Ma'am. We're here exploring Italy for our honeymoon," Will smiled handing her the money.

"Italy is a good country for romance," the woman smiled handing his money back to him. "Consider the brooch as a wedding gift. I can tell you two will be married for a long time."

Will took his money back and thanked the little old lady. He and Emma left the stall as they continued on with their mission, the old ladies words haunting both their thoughts.


	5. The Past

**A/N: Updating again. Hope you guys are not losing interest. If you are I think this chapter might draw you back in. Just ONE thing before you read this chapter I am looking for a BETA or anyone who is willing to help me with fight scenes/adult theme scenes in this story and other stories. I would be happy and appreciate it if anyone could help. All you'll have to do is read it and tell me what I could add, take out and whatever to make it better. You will also be the first and ONLY person to read it before I post it to the public. Send me a private message if you are willing to help me. If you can please don't take days to reply. I can be impatient and want the help as soon as possible.**

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**The Past**

Jane and Ethan had gone to follow the targets right hand man once the surveillance cameras had been hacked into by Benji. They had seen the guy leave just as the images had just come up. Emma and Will had to stay behind and watch the screens with Benji. Emma was getting annoyed by getting left with Will. She knew Ethan was doing on purpose and even though she was annoyed at being stuck with her former lover she was thankful that he was with her and knew he was safe.

She was watching the cameras with Benji when her phone rang. She had been watching the screen intently so it made her jump. She pulled it out of her pocket as she stood up. She checked the caller ID and didn't recognize the number. She had a feeling who it could be. She answered her phone as she walked into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.

"How far away are you?" the voice asked. She could tell it was the man who had threatened her almost a week ago.

"Two doors down and there is two tails on your brother's BFF," she told him.

"I'm guessing you aren't one of the people who are tailing him," he said. This man seemed to be emotionless. He had the same monotone voice every time he spoke.

'No shit' Emma thought to herself as she rolled her eyes. "I answered my phone didn't I, couldn't do that if I was tailing someone," she said.

"Is Ethan one of the tails?" she heard him ask as a knock came at the bathroom door.

"Yes," she whispered as the knocking got louder.

"Who's with him?" he asked ignoring the change in her tone.

"A woman, Agent Jane Carter and she's a real bitch," she answered still whispering making her feelings towards Jane known.

"I'll let you go for now," he said then hung up on her.

Emma let out a frustrated sigh. She was hoping to get the man's name this time. You'd think it would be easy to work it out but the target had three brothers. It could have been anyone of the three. Or it could even be a brother no one knew about.

She slipped her phone back into her pocket and unlocked the bathroom door. She swung it open and came face to face with Will.

"Has anyone ever told you you're impatient?" she asked him frowning.

Will ignored her question and frowned back at her. "I need to use the bathroom."

Emma stepped out of the door way and walked past him. She went back to where she was sitting with Benji a few moments ago, watching the screen.

"Anything new happen?" she asked the technician turned field agent.

"Nothing, Rodgers hasn't even moved," Benji told her.

"He gets everyone else to do his work so he doesn't have to move his fat lazy ass," she sighed slouching down in her seat.

"So... What's with you and Brandt?" Benji asked her changing the subject and making small talk as a silence came over them.

"Nothing," Emma said simply.

"It's obvious you two had a past and it's eating at the both of you," he stated the obvious.

Emma sighed. She knew she was eventually going to get questioned about her relationship with Will. She went on to explain to Benji what happened not knowing Will was listening to her every word.

"Will and I had met on a mission we had to do together. We became close and eventually things started to get physical between us. Our commander found out and told us if we can't keep our hands to ourselves the mission would become compromised and we'd both be on desk duty for as long as we worked in IMF. After that I really started thinking about my relationship with Brandt and if it was really worth throwing my job as a field agent away for it..." she paused. She continued to watch the screen.

"You decided your job was more important than the man you could possibly love?" Benji asked her. He hadn't been in love before but he had seen Ethan with his wife. He knew it was hard for them but he couldn't imagine how hard it could be for two agents in love.

"I knew I loved Brandt but I was scared of where it would eventually lead us. He told me he loved me but I didn't want to believe it. Love wasn't something I planned on ever feeling," she sighed.

"But you did love him?" Benji asked.

She nodded her head yes. "I just didn't know how in love I was with him until after I broke my promise to him."

"What was the promise?" Benji asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"I promised I'd keep in contact with him when I got home," she said. "But I didn't. I called him saying I got to my apartment safely and that was it. I couldn't bring myself to call him. I couldn't bring myself to tell I was pregnant. I just couldn't do it."

"Why not?" Will's voice came from the door way making Emma and Benji jump.

Emma turned to look at him. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out.

"Why couldn't you tell me?" he asked her. He was glaring at her. He couldn't believe she would keep something like this from him.

"I... I...," she stammered trying to find the right words.

Will rolled his eyes and went to walk away when she called his name. "What?" he spat glaring at her even more.

She looked into his eyes and could see more than just anger. He looked hurt and betrayed.

"I did want to tell you Will, I really did but I didn't want to hold you back. You were one of IMF's top agents and I didn't want that taken away from you. I didn't want to hold you back from doing the job you love," she told him. "I didn't want to be a burden to you."

"When I told you I loved you, I meant it. I was in love with you and I was going to give up everything for you. Hell, when you wouldn't call me back or anything I was about to quit and come and find you," Will told her, his voice starting to raise a little.

Emma could feel the tears start to form. Her eyes were starting to sting.

"Emaleigh," Will said using her full name. "You have no idea how disappointed in you I am. You could have told me. Why are you still working for IMF?"

"Because I was stupid and didn't tell anyone about the pregnancy. I was sent on another mission and got into a fight, I lost the baby right there and then," she told him.

"I thought you were smart. How wrong was I?" Will said. Emma watched as he turned around and walked towards the bedroom. She jumped and cringed when the door slammed shut.

Emma burst into tears realizing how wrong she had been to keep everything from him.


	6. Decisions

**A/N: I owe a huge thank you to Aveline Archer for being such a big help with this story. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, I appreciate it and I cannot say it enough. For the rest of you read and review please. I'd love to hear your thoughts. I'm sure Aveline Archer would too. I will be posting the first chapter to another fan fiction I am writing soon, hopefully.**

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**CHAPTER 6:**

**Decision.**

"Ever since you've been here, our attempts to close in on the target have failed!" The three men entered the hotel room to discover the two women standing toe to toe. "Are you working for the enemy?"

"I'd never betray Ethan!" Emma spat, lightly shaking her at Jane. "I'm one of the best because he trained me! And you don't know a damn thing about me Agent Carter, so you can go to hell!"

"I know you screwed Brandt, and killed his baby! So yes! I think you'd betray all of us!" Emma's hand flew up and connected with Jane's cheek, the slap echoing throughout the quiet hotel room before she stormed off to the bedroom.

Jane cradled with aching cheek but still a smirk played on her lips, knowing she got under Emma's skin. There was only room for one female on Ethan's team and that was going to be her.

"You need to learn to keep your mouth shut!" Will remarked angrily, easily going to Emma's aid even though they'd barely spoken for the past two weeks. Will had spoken to Ethan about Emma's confession and Jane had obviously heard their tragic story.

"After everything she's put you through, you're still defending her?" Jane frowned at him.

"It's none of your goddamn business Jane!"

"Y'know what Brandt, you're just as stupid as she is but I'm not, she's hiding something and I'm going to find out what it is!"

"You don't know her like I do." Will glared at Jane as he spoke. "There's always a reason behind her actions, sometimes it hurts people but it's for a greater purpose than herself!"

Jane shook her head in disgust. "You're still in love with her aren't you?"

Will refused to answer her; it was one thing to feel it but to admit it aloud would make it all too real, so he walked away from the group to hide out in his room. If he lingered near Jane any longer he'd end up smacking her as well.

"That's enough bad mouthing people for today," Ethan sighed. "Just try to keep your opinions to yourself, Emma does that for you."

Jane scowled but nodded her head.

Emma laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling wondering how far Jane was willing to go to find out the truth. A part of her knew this secret ate away at her soul, and Jane would shoot first, ask questions later.

She groaned in frustration. She didn't want to do this anymore. She snatched up her phone and scrolled through the contacts before she found the name of the voice she longed to hear.

"Hello?"

"Hey mom," she murmured trying to hold back the tears as her mother's voice flowed through the line.

"Emaleigh! How are you?"

"I'm fine, sorry I didn't call mom but I had to get away for a little bit," she sat up running her free hand over the bed covers. Her mother didn't know her youngest child was an IMF agent, but believed her to be a bodyguard for a government official.

"So you're on vacation?"

"I am. I finally made it to Italy." She stated forcing a smile to keep her tone upbeat. "You know how much I wanted to come here."

"You've been talking about going there since you were a kid," her mother laughed. "You made it baby girl."

"Yeah I did." Silence filled the space where neither of them wanted to hang up just yet. "Hey mom? You know I love you right?" She hoped the tremor in her voice wouldn't be obvious.

"Of course I do. Are you okay Emaleigh?"

"I'm just fine mom; I just wish we could spend more time together."

"It's okay, I know your job keeps you busy baby."

"Give my love to Samantha and Derek, and the kids too. I miss them all."

"I will. Are you sure you're alright?"

There was a knock at the bedroom door and she looked over as Ethan entered. "I'm fine mom, but I've got an appointment at the spa so I've got to go."

"Alright baby, I love you."

"I love you too." She hung up placing the phone on the bedside table as she rose from the bed. "We need to talk Ethan." He nodded closing the door behind him.


	7. Sounds like a goodbye

**Read and Review... Thanks again to Aveline Archer.**

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**CHAPTER SEVEN:**

**Goodbye.**

"Are you sure you want to do it this way?" Ethan asked watching as Emma nervously bit her nails, nodding her head after confessing to the events that had led to this point. Ethan was surprisingly calm and understanding about the situation, listening quietly as she expressed her fears about losing her family and that she never truly planned to betray him. He promptly reassured her, and helped forge a delicate plan to get her out of this predicament.

"It's the only way I can see to end this without anyone getting hurt."

"Apart from you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She remarked quietly, lowering her hands to her legs and grasped her kneecaps tightly through the thin material of her jeans. "You should understand that better than most."

"I do, but if you wanted a fresh start –"

She lightly shook her head, looking at her former mentor as he flashed her a feeble smile. "What would I do? I don't know how to be anything else but an agent…a killer."

"And you don't want the team involved?"

"No." Her sharp tone left no room for discussion. Too many lives were at risk as it was, and none of them would be lost during her watch.

"I'll leave you to make the call." Ethan gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze of support before he left the bedroom.

Her thoughts took over within the quiet surroundings, almost as if every day of the past month had been leading up to this point. Her relationships with Ethan and Benji practically resumed where they left off, but Jane's mistrust always lingered in the air – creating a tense environment whenever the two of them were together. She wouldn't be sorry to be shot of the competitive agent.

Emma ran a hand back through her hair, slumping upon the edge of the unmade bed as her thoughts finally fixated on Will. He wasn't exactly talking to her, but for the sake of the team he was civil – which was worse. She'd rather he shouted at her, at least then she had some idea what was going on in his head. Did he understand why she couldn't tell him about the baby? Did he blame her for everything? The anxious lump in her gut told her, she'd probably never know the answers to her questions and after this mess was cleaned up, they would go their separate ways again.

She pulled her cell phone out of her jacket pocket and dialled the familiar number that belonged to her blackmailer. She only waited a couple of seconds before the guff voice filtered through the line.

"You better have something of use for me Emma."

She swallowed hard and licked her dry lips, commanding every ounce of courage within her before replying, "I have a new proposition for you."

"We already have a deal!" He snapped. "Do I have to spill your family's blood before you'll realize I'm serious?"

"Of course not," she forced herself to smile and be charming, even though her insides squirmed.

"I know Ethan's plans for your brother."

"And?"

"And I want my family left alone!"

"That's not up for discussion –"

"You might have eyes on my family, but I also have eyes on your brother," she rose from the bed, walking to the window where she could easily see the intended targets the team had been following were having breakfast outside a local café. "All it would take is a pretty little bullet from my gun and the police will be mopping your brother's brains off the pavement."

There was sharp intake of breath at the other line and a genuine smile played upon her lips. Even after all these years, her words still worked in her favour.

"You lie!"

"Do I?" She chuckled.

"You've obviously read my file; you know what I'm capable of."

"Alright! What's your proposition?"

"Like I said, I want you to guarantee that my family will be left alone."

"And what do I get in return?"

"I will tell you Ethan's plan tomorrow, five o'clock at Genoa Port, if you are one second late I'm gone and so is your brother." She hung up and tossed the phone at the bed. Now came the worse part – the waiting and preparing for the meet but come tomorrow night, the tables would turn in her favour.

An abrupt knock on the door interrupted her train of thought and she watched as the door parted its frame revealing Will. He entered casting his blue eyes around the room as the door gently clicked back into place. "Is there something I should know?"

Emma frowned raising her shoulders with a shrug, "I don't think so –"

"What's going on between you and Ethan? You're always running off for a private chat," he nodded his head towards the bed and tangled state of the sheets. "If that's what you're doing." He added sourly causing Emma to roll her eyes.

"Is your opinion of me really that low?"

"Maybe –"

"Just because I'm not screwing you anymore doesn't mean I'm screwing everybody else!" She stalked over to the bed, snatching her phone and began packing her bag. If she didn't keep her hands busy, she knew her fists would end up connecting with his handsome features.

"I'm sorry Emma."

Her heart literally skipped a beat with his whisper, her gaze shifting over her shoulder to find him watching her cautiously. She dropped her bag and sat on the bed. "Don't be, I know these past few weeks haven't been easy."

"But there's something going on isn't there?" She nodded and he sighed loudly, crossing the room to sit beside her, stirring up their scents so they mixed together in ways they physically couldn't.

"And you won't tell me?"

"I can't, but it's something that I have to do." She glanced up at him through her dark lashes, admitting aloud the secret she'd kept in her heart for so long. "I love you."

The corners of his lips twitched as they were the words he'd always wanted to hear from her. "That sounds like goodbye..."

She didn't offer a reply so Will wrapped an arm round her shoulders, his fingers trailing along the smooth skin of her jaw forcing her to look at him. She covered the distance between them, her gaze shifting from the blue eyes she adored to his parted lips. She kissed him sweetly at first and then curled her arms round his neck, pressing herself against his warm body finding the comfort she craved in his embrace.

Their mouths parted and Will broke away, sliding off the bed to run his hands through his hair. Emma chewed on her bottom lip, savouring his taste as a handful of tears rolled down her face. Will stalked to the door throwing it open, but paused to look back at her as she hastily ran her fingers beneath her eyes. "For what it's worth Emma, I never stopped loving you."

He heard her choke on a sob and walked out, slamming the door behind him.


	8. Angel

**Thank you to Aveline Archer for practically writing this for me. Read and Review...**

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT:**

**Angel.**

Emma casually walked towards the Port of Genoa, glancing at her watch to discover she was ten minutes early. Jane was doing surveillance on Anton Rodgers, the brother of her blackmailer and the teams intended target – while Benji and Will kept an eye on his associates. Ethan convinced the team Anton was about to make a move to leave the country, and that he and Emma would wait at the port to head him off. But the reality was they were going to corner her blackmailer, and force him to lash out so they could take him out.

Emma breathed in the salty breeze blowing through her hair and relaxed against a metal railing. Fishing vessels and tourist charter yachts danced upon the wavy water, and seagulls squawked as they flew over the isolated port.

She and Will hadn't discussed the kiss they'd shared the day before, but settled into an uncomfortable truce.

"You have some nerve bringing me here."

Emma whirled around coming face to face with her blackmailer. He was a short, slender man with a distorted face – this skin slightly pulled too tight beneath short black hair. If she didn't know any better, she'd assume he was wearing a mask.

"We had a deal."

"You should've thought of that before you tried to use my family against me."

"Don't pretend to have the moral high ground here; you're no better than me!" He snapped as Ethan's voice crackled through my earpiece.

"Anton has three brothers, two here with him and one in prison. Your blackmailer is someone else."

I stared at the man standing before me but couldn't find his features in my memory.

"Are you going to tell me Ethan's plan or not?"

"Not yet." She folded her arms across her chest. "You've lied to me, you said Anton was your brother –"

"He is!"

"According to my sources he isn't! So you tell me the truth or I'm gone!"

The man smiled and touched his neck, scratching at the skin so it was forced to peel away and he gripped a flap of skin, tearing it off to reveal the stunning features of a woman. She lightly shook her head allowing her lush blonde waves to settle around her face, her hazel eyes staring defiantly at me.

"I should've given you more credit Emma," she dropped the mask. "I'm Anton's sister; Angel. Now tell me where my brother is and you can go back to your pathetic existents."

"No."

"What?"

"Did you honestly believe I'd turn on my friends?" Emma lightly shook her head. "You should've killed me when you had the chance, because your precious brother is now in the custody of IMF."

"Bitch!" Angel's hand instantly swung round to grasp the gun tucked in the back of her loose-fitting pants, but before Emma could reach for the knife in her ankle sheath, a bullet fired from Angel's weapon.

Emma's world seemingly shifted into an alternate reality where everything played out in slow motion. Angel's image blurred as Emma's blue eyes shifted from the smoking gun down to her stomach where her hands clutched at the wound weeping blood. She stumbled backwards into the railing and dropped to the ground.

Another loud gunshot filled the quiet space and the woman who fell perfectly into Emma and Ethan's trap awkwardly fell to the ground. Ethan's clean shot went straight through the bitch's shoulder. As much as they wanted to kill her, she was better in IMF's custody with her brothers.

Emma watched silently as Angel's blood pooled around her when she passed out from pain – all the confusion and suspicion of the past few weeks had ended.

Ethan jogged along the wharf towards them, ignoring Angel's limp body to come to Emma's aid, pressing his finger into his ear. "We are a go – Rogers and his men are to be taken alive, repeat, they are to be taken alive!"

He knelt beside her, removing a small tube from up his sleeve. The sharp needle shot out as he lowered his voice to a whisper, putting into action the second part of their plan to free Emma from any repercussions.

"This will slow your heart rate and put you under for ninety minutes." He stabbed the needle into her arm making her yelp. "There's a motel next door to the morgue. Go to room six, you'll find everything you need to start fresh."

"Except Will." She muttered letting him inspect her stomach wound.

"You're doing what's necessary." He replied. "You'll be okay if you get the bullet out cleanly."

"I've had worse."

"The clean-up crew is on its way and Roger's in custody."

"Jane didn't kill him?"

Ethan chuckled, "Don't sound so surprised."

"EMMA!"

Ethan glimpsed over his shoulder and shook his head. "Get ready kid, your acting skills are about to be tested." He moved away so Emma could watch the team run towards her. So much for her easy exit.

Will dropped to his knees beside her, his warm hands cupping her face. "Stay with me Emma!" He pressed a hand against her stomach, pushing her damp bloodied hands further into the wound.

She released a pitiful cry, while Will called for the helpless looking team to help. But everyone appeared paralyzed, glancing between Emma and the blonde lying nearby.

"Who's that?" Jane asked.

"Anton Roger's sister, she was waiting for him and got off a shot." Ethan replied.

"It hurts," Emma muttered. Her tongue slid over her parted lips as she tried to concentrate on Will's face, and it was a handsome face. She adored the light blue shading of his eyes, and the way his hair flicked up off his forehead, but what made her heart flutter most was the way he looked at her – as if she was the only person in the world. "I'm sorry Will." She mumbled fighting through the meds pumping through her body to touch his face.

"Don't be, we'll get you fixed up," he promised flashing her a grin even though her blood stained his hands, to be forever there in memory.

"We were great together."

"We fought all the time."

"But the makeup sex was worth it." Her fingers slipped from his face as her heart began to struggle to beat.

"No!" Benji cried stepping forward only for Ethan and Jane to hold him back as his friend began to pass before their eyes.

"Damn it Emma! Stay with me!" Will cried.

"It's too late for me," her eyelids fluttered as Will rested his forehead against hers, their heated breaths mixing before their lips met. Emma felt a tear run down her face as he pulled away. "See you on the other side." She whispered closing her eyes to savour Will's face in her memories as her last breath passed her lips.

"EMMA! Emma wake up!" Will cradled her face, gently shaking her to no prevail. She was gone. He'd never get the chance to tell her how sorry he was, or make up for the lost time when they should've been together.

"We need to go Brandt." Ethan stated reaching for Will's arm but he shook it off.

"I won't leave her here!"

"The team will take care of her." Ethan roughly hauled Will to his feet, guilt washing over him as the agent before him mourned his lost love. He understood the pain and the sacrifice but in that moment he would've given anything to tell him Emma would be just fine.

Benji grabbed Will's other arm, the two of them forcibly dragging the broken agent away while Jane followed quietly behind them.


	9. To Emma

**Sorry for the wait but good news, I have my laptop back so hopefully I can update more often. Please Read and Review...**

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE:**

**To Emma.**

The team casually gathered in the Genoa safe house, after the dramatic events at the port waiting for the departure of their flight back to the United States. Ethan, Jane and Benji kept glancing towards the closed bedroom door, wondering when Will would emerge and the state he'd be in when he did. He hadn't spoken to anyone since being dragged away from Emma's body, locking himself away.

Will wanted to be left alone with his thoughts, even though they tormented him with regret. He could've saved Emma. If he'd known her plans he could've been there to help her, rather than just watch her die.

He stood on the balcony, looking out towards the port remembering the past few weeks spent with Emma had been volatile to say the least. He'd had a second chance to make things right with her, and plenty of opportunities to tell her how he felt but he'd ruined his chance. His mind then played the unforgettable scene over and over again; Emma's blue eyes would haunt him for the rest of his life.

A sharp knock on the door couldn't sway his thoughts from Emma or the dull ache in his chest. Soft footsteps appeared behind him but he didn't look over his shoulder as Ethan spoke.

"We have a problem."

"Only one?" Will muttered, staring darkly at the super-agent – the man he was holding responsible for Emma's death. She's trusted her mentor and now she was dead.

"Angelina Rogers wasn't there when the clean-up arrived," Ethan stated.

"Say that again?"

"She'll know Anton is in IMF custody, and she'll do whatever it takes to get him out."

Will rubbed the back of his neck; stalking pass Ethan to enter the bedroom where his blue eyes instantly swayed towards the bed, remembering the kiss he'd stared with Emma.

"What's this got to do with me?"

"We need to bring her in and your part of the team –"

"Bring her in? Are you serious?" Will shook his head. "She's the one that should be on a slab! Not Emma!"

"I know you're hurting –"

"You don't know a damn thing!"

"Look Angel is smart; no doubt her brother has taught her a few tricks –"

"So let me take the bitch out!" Will snapped finding letting his emotions implode.

"She will pay for what she did, but I don't want you hell-bent on revenge because Angel will find a way to use that against you." Ethan easily kept his cool. "We're going to lead her back to the States and make her play our game on our home ground. She won't get away a second time,"

"No she won't." Will promised more to Emma's memory than anything else.

"Get some sleep; we leave first thing tomorrow morning."

After Ethan left the bedroom, Will laid on the bed not bothering to get out of his day clothes or under the blankets. He stared at the ceiling wanting to relax but his mind wouldn't let him, it kept torturing him with memories of Emma and how he'd let her slip through his fingers again. His gaze lowered from the ceiling as a thought struck him; Emma's things were still here. He sat up and hopped off the bed, racing to the wardrobe where he discovered her black duffle bag. He dropped to his knees and began pouring through the contents.

There were the usual amount of weapons and fake passports hidden within the lining, but he picked out the last shirt he'd seen her in and held the material so tightly within his grasp he probably wrinkled it indefinitely.

"Dammit Emma," he lightly shook his head when something caught his eye. A notebook lay amongst the clothes.

He dropped the shirt and reached for the notebook, flicking through the pages where the black ink was scribbled upon the pages in Emma's untidy scrawl. Some of the words went around photos, the faces he recognized as her family members but what shocked him the most was stumbling across a photo of him and Emma during their very first mission together. She still had the flowing blonde hair, and her pretty features were younger and not harden by the profession.

He read quietly for seemingly ages, losing himself with her words and discovering he never really knew her at all. She spoke about the difficulties of being a female in the agency, and fighting off male agents who thought a quick roll in the hay would make her crack. It was no secret that the Secretary valued his female agents – knowing their wyes got the job done without a body count or an explosive mess to clean up afterwards.

In the early years most of the pages talked about how much she missed her family, and knew the danger her job posed but then she spoke about Will at great length. She worried about their relationship, and then he reached a point where the writing was smudged by what appeared to be teardrops. She mourned for their baby, rationalizing with herself that it was for the best. Will snapped the notebook closed, the dull ache in his chest stretching out a little more – she went through this all alone, this book her only comfort.

Will opened the book again and tore out the photo of him and Emma, stuffing it into his pant pocket for safe keeping. Everything else needed to be burned – no part of Emma could exist. It was protocol. He'd grabbed a bin from the main room, no speaking to anyone before locking himself in the bedroom again. He gathered Emma's belongings and dumped them into the bin, pulling out a lighter from his pocket.

After this Emma Malone would be a ghost, a vague memory to her family and a hero that died in the line of duty. But in Will's heart, she'd linger forever. The what ifs would taunt him in his loneliness moments, and his eyes would always drift to the shadows, hoping to see his love again.  
He snapped the lighter, watching the flame before dropping it into the bin where it ignited the clothes and papers. "Goodbye Emma." He muttered, watching the flames until they became nothing but ashes remains.

* * *

The team arrived at the airport early the next morning, checking in for their flight home when the tiny hairs on the back of Will's neck rose to attention. Someone was watching them. His blue eyes studied their surroundings, but nothing sinister stood out. Ethan had mentioned Angelina could be waiting for them, waiting for the right moment to strike and he hoped the bitch would reveal herself soon; he was itching for a fight and he'd draw out her death as slowly as he could.

He followed the others silently onto the plane, listening to their mindless chatter before claiming a window seat. He watched the people on the tarmac prepare the plane and load up the baggage when Benji dropped into the seat beside him.

He glanced at his teammate noticing the puffiness around his eyes hadn't gone down. The British agent took Emma's death hard; they'd been friends for years and protected each other like siblings.

"You alright?" Will's vocal cords stretched and he cleared his throat realizing he hadn't spoken aloud since the day before.

"No," Benji shook his head, turning his damp face towards him. "I can't believe she's gone."

"It's the downside of the job," he muttered glancing across the aisle where Ethan and Jane talked quietly.

"But Emma is…was one of the best,"

"You can't cheat death Benji,"

Benji muttered something under his breath, and Will frowned.

"What was that?"

"I felt like someone was watching me at the airport," he massaged his temples.

"We're running on empty Benji," Will stated relaxing in his seat as the plane easily glided through the clouds. The aircraft hummed beneath them and the flight attendants were beginning the first round of drinks service. "How about a drink?"

"Yeah, I could use a stiff one." Benji chuckled. "Emma wasn't a big drinker, two beers and she'd be dancing on the tables,"

Will couldn't control the laugh that escaped his lips, his mood lifting as he recalled the couple of times he'd seen Emma drunk. "She was a great poker player though; she could bluff with the best of them."

Benji nodded, "I lost a few hundred pounds to her, on more than one occasion."

The flight attendant paused her trolley beside us and took our order, the little bottle of liquor lining up on our tray tables. Once she'd moved on Will unscrewed the first cap raising the bottle, capturing Ethan and Jane's attention.

"To Emma Malone," they raised their glasses and they toasted to their fallen friend.  
The team didn't know what tomorrow held, or how Angelina would come at them, but Will was certain of one thing – she'd die by his hand.


	10. Surprise

**Once again thanks to Laura for practically writing this for me. I really appreciate it. I think the next chapter will be the last one but we'll see what happens. Please leave your reviews.**

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**CHAPTER TEN:**

**Surprise!**

Ethan and his team returned safely to the United States and were debriefed by their superiors before given a couple of weeks off to deal with the grief of losing their fellow agent. Even though a couple of months passed by, there was no whisper or rumour of Angelina surfacing stateside and their lives began to return to normal – missions were dealt out and training continued.

Will had a reluctant night off and planned to meet an old friend for a drink but cancelled at the last minute deciding he wasn't the best company at the moment. He moved about his simple apartment, heading into the kitchen to grab a glass from the cupboard and then filled it with a couple cubes of ice from the freezer. He found a half-drunk bottle of Whiskey still sitting beside the fridge and decided tonight was the night to finish it off. It probably didn't help the photo of him and Emma was on the fridge, reminding him of his grief every time he opened the damn door.

He swallowed a mouthful, the harsh liquor burning his throat as it travelled down to his stomach where it settled nicely. He repeated the action three times and began to feel comfortably numb.  
After consuming the entire contents of the bottle, and a few remaining beers in the fridge, Will stumbled into his bedroom – somehow managing to pull off his day clothes before he fell into his bed, passing out in a drunken haze.

He woke with a start; his hand clutched his bare chest as he heard a distance bump that made him kick off the blankets, sliding a hand beneath the pillow to retrieve his weapon. He clicked off the safety and walked cautiously towards the door the same time as someone kicked it opened. The force caught Will off guard and he stumbled back, squeezing the trigger and released a couple of rounds hearing the bullets connect with wood.

"You missed!"

He lowered his weapon slightly as a female figure appeared in the doorway, raising her weapon, firing it as he realized it was Angelina. The shock of the Taser pins entering his flesh made his gun slip from his grasp, his body convulsing and falling back onto the bed. The electrical current travelled through him, and he could only helplessly watch as Angelina seized his gun, swinging her arm back as she smacked him in the head with it.

Will woke for a second time with a throbbing headache, and made the mistake of shaking his head. The pain made him groan aloud, but his blurry vision came into focus and he found himself still in his apartment. He couldn't tell how much time had passed but it felt like a lifetime, it wasn't until he squinted that he realized moonlight was filtering through the blinds.

He motioned to touch his head but couldn't move his arms, and glanced down discovering himself tied to a chair, and the metallic taste of blood lingering on his lips.

"Fuck." He moved his arms, winching as the rope burned against his flesh. He peered round the empty apartment where all his belongings appeared to be untouched and the bedroom door was still open, cracked from the violent force of being kicked opened. "Hello?"

"I'm still here Brandt," he frowned as Angelina waltzed out of the bedroom, in a black skin-tight cat suit, his gun in one hand while the other held a piece of paper. "I've just been going through your things. Boy, you held a torch for Emma didn't you?" She smiled holding up a photo of the two of them together.

"What do you want?" He asked trying to loosen the rope, even though it rubbed his flesh red raw.

"I want Emma –"

"She's dead!"

Angelina merely smirked at his remark, walking past and flicking her blonde locks over her shoulder. He heard her rummage around the kitchen and her footsteps pad across the carpet back to him. A large knife flashed in a stray beam of moonlight that flowed nearby, her lips drawing into a higher grin that distorted her features.

"I've got a secret," she tilted her head slightly to one side, leaning closer to press a finger against his temple. He cringed in pain, watching her stare at his blood covering her finger. "Red suits you."

"Some secret," he muttered unkindly.

"You wanna hear my secret or not? It has to do with Emma," she sang, weaving the knife effortlessly through the air before him. He wouldn't lie that his interest was drawn.

"What do you know?"

"She's not dead." She giggled sitting side-on in his lap and trailed her fingers over his bare chest.

"You're lying."

Her big blue eyes stared straight into his, not an ounce of fear held within them as her tongue slid over her pale lips. "No I'm not." She tangled a hand in his hair, yanking him towards her as she pressed her lips hard against his. "You taste like booze," she ran the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip before kissing the corner of his mouth, not minding that he squirmed beneath her.

"Get off me!"

She slid off his lap and disappeared behind him. He hissed as the knife edge ran slowly along his arm.

"Where's Emma?"

"Fuck you!"

"Y'know what?" She rested her chin on his shoulder, speaking softly so every word carried. "I'm gonna make your death look like a suicide, and leave a fitting note where you admitted you couldn't live in this cruel world anymore. That'll make Emma come out of hiding." She giggled, pressing her lips into my cheek as the knife dug deeper into the same cut.

"Fuck you! Emma's dead and soon, you'll be too!"

Her laughter was cut short by someone kicking in the front door; a shot rang out as a bullet went straight through Angelina's head, crimson blood and brain matter spilling from the gaping hole as her body dropped to the floor. Will sat dumbfounded for a moment and then felt his bound hands be released, so he could jump up and come face to face with his saviour. His blue eyes widened in shock as he slowly shook his head.

"No."


	11. Happily Ever After?

**This is technically the last chapter but I will be posting a epilogue also. Please leave your reviews.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 11**

**Happily Ever After?**

"No…" Will stood motionless in the middle of the room, forgetting about his wounds and Angelina's dead body bleeding out beside him because the woman he'd loved and thought was dead now stood before him. "Emma?"

"Hey," she offered a feeble smile, tucking her gun into the back of her pants.

Will didn't know what to say or even where to begin, so he did the one thing he should've done a long time ago. He covered the distance between them, cupping her beautiful face in his hands pressing his lips against hers. Her arms snaked around his waist so she could press her warm slender form against his as everything around them faded away.

Their lips parted but their foreheads remained touching.

"Why the secrets?"

"I couldn't risk anything happening to you or my family." Emma replied, her lips curving as Will's fingers caressed the back of her neck. "Angelina had her people watching them, but I couldn't bring myself to betray you or Ethan."

"I should be angry with you,"

"I wouldn't blame you if you were,"

"It killed me to see you like that…I thought I'd lost you for good." He admitted quietly, touching her chin as she motioned to look away. "I love you, more than anything Emma."

"I love you too." She smiled.

Will reluctantly tore himself from her embrace, glancing at Angelina's body. "What should we do about her?"

"I've already called Ethan; he has a team on their way to clean up the mess. You should pack a bag; we need to leave before they arrive."

He nodded quickly walking into the bedroom where he picked up his already packed bag – something he always had in the wardrobe in case a mission came up. He snatched up his wallet and phone off the bedside table before pulling on the clothes at the end of the bed. He marched back into the main room where he found Emma lingering by the front door.

"The team will be here in five minutes, so we need to move." She stated glancing at her watch and then him.

"Alright," he tugged the photo of him and Emma off the fridge, stuffing it into his back pocket as he followed Emma into the dim lit hallway.

They passed the elevator and took the emergency exit stairs instead, quietly descending to the ground level before walking out into the early dawn light. There was a car parked in front of the building and Emma extended her hand, unlocking the doors so they could make their escape. It wasn't until the apartment building had disappeared from view that Will finally spoke up.

"Where are we going?"

"My apartment, it's on the other side of the city."

"Wait…you've been here the whole time?"

She glanced sheepishly at him, "I needed to make sure you were safe."

"I was safe," he muttered rolling his eyes. "Until tonight."

"I left Genoa that night, and kept an eye on my family until I found out Angelina was here." Emma explained quietly, keeping her eyes on the road knowing if she looked at Will she might just cry. It wasn't easy watching him suffer from afar, not being able to talk or touch him. "She didn't give a damn about the team or my family, she just wanted you."

"She knew you were still alive, she told me so."

"I don't know how, when the crew picked me up I was still unconscious. Maybe she saw me leaving the motel," she shrugged. "I didn't know she'd escape until I got to the States, Ethan was –"

"Ethan knew too!"

"I asked him to help me." Emma glanced at Will discovering his wide eyes upon her. "I'm sorry."  
Nothing more was said for the rest of the drive to Emma's apartment, and by the time they arrived there the sky was tainted in the glow of morning sunlight. Emma led the way, Will following her into a tidy one bedroom apartment.

Will dropped his bag on the floor as Emma grabbed a First Aid Kit from the kitchen, motioning him to sit on the stool in front of the counter.

"Let me check out that cut on your arm,"

Will set his arm on the counter and allowed her to inspect the damage, gently wiping away the dry and oozing blood to discover the knife cut was gratefully not as deep as she thought. "Good news is that you won't need stitches," she flashed him a smile. "But it'll leave a scar."

"I heard some woman like scars, find them attractive." He grinned as she placed two butterfly stitches over the wound, and then bandaged it for good measure.

"They sure are." She packed up the First Aid Kit and put it back under the sink before tossing the bandaged packaging in the bin.

"Do you have some painkillers?"

"Sure," Emma left to grab some medication from the bathroom, placing them in Will's hand before getting him a glass of water.

She found herself cleaning the dishes in the sink, just to keep her hands busy. With her back to Will she didn't notice when he slipped off the stool and came up behind her, his arms enfolding her body. Her stomach fluttered with butterflies, a strange feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.

"I'm so sorry Will," she whispered. "I never meant to hurt you."

"You were trying to protect us," she turned round in his hold, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes as she studied his handsome features. "I would've done the same thing y'know,"

"I know." She brushed her nose against his lips as his arms held her tightly against him. "But I don't want this life anymore; I don't want to have to choose between the people I love and my job."

"You don't have to; we'll make a fresh start,"

"You and me?"

"Yeah," he kissed her nose and then lips. "'Cause I love you."

"I love you too Will."


	12. The End

**I would just like to thank Laura [Aveline Archer] for her help with this story. I appreciate it very much. Also thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, added this story to their favorites and followed it. Remember to check out my other stories. I new story will be started and posted in a few days.**

* * *

**EPILOGUE:**

**The End.**

"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU AFTER THIS BRANDT!" Emma yelled at her husband of seven months. This was a horrendous pain she'd never experienced before.

"No you won't because you'll miss me." Will said calmly, smiling and holding onto his wife's hand.

Three months after reuniting, the couple eloped in Las Vegas, getting married at one of those cheesy wedding chapels just off the Strip, calling IMF the next day to announce they were retiring from the spy business. The agency tried to convince them otherwise, as losing two of their best agents wouldn't look good but Emma and Will were determined to live normal lives as private citizens.

"I hate you so much right now." Emma frowned at him, squeezing his hand causing the smile on his face to fade as pain shot through his hand. Will was sure she would break it if she kept squeezing it as hard as she was.

A month after their Vegas wedding Emma discovered she was pregnant, and despite the unexpected shock Emma gratefully had an easy pregnancy with no complications. But had an unnatural craving for Italian food. A few months later they learnt they were having a boy, and spent the next few months deciding on a name for him.

"Come on Emma, just one more push and you'll be able to hold your son." The doctor stated and had been saying similar things for the past seven hours of labour.

"I can't."

"Just a little more Ems and he'll be here, you can do it," Will kissed her sweaty forehead, adjusting his hand in hopes the tiny bones wouldn't be crushed.

"Screw you! You try pushing a human being out of your vagina!"

Will smiled looking up at the nurse as she chuckled, "Excuse my wife."

"Dear that's not the worst we've heard, let's just get your boy here."

Emma soon felt the urge to push again, a ragged cry parting her lips as she gathered every ounce of courage and strength to bring her baby into the world.

"Come on Ems,"

Soon a baby's cries echoed around the room, Emma stumping back against the bed sheets sighed gratefully that it was over. The nurse and doctor checked over the baby, wrapping the delicate human being in a blanket before gently placing him in Emma's awaiting arms.

"He's a beautiful, healthy baby boy."

Emma cradled her son in her arms, "He's perfect."

"He takes after his daddy." Will smiled looking down at his little boy that he'll one day teach how to catch and throw a baseball, take him to little league games. He was determined his son will be a baseball player and know nothing about his parents IMF past.

"Have you thought of a name for him?" The nurse asked.

"We decided on a name last week." Will told her.

"And what should we be calling him?"

"Casey William Brandt," Emma couldn't wipe the smile from her lips.

"It suits him," The nurse adjusted the bed sheets and placed a clean robe on the chair beside the bed.

"We thought so." Emma agreed with her.

"I'll leave you to get better acquainted with Casey. Your doctor should be back in a few minutes to check you and Casey over. She's just gone to get the form for you guys to fill out so your baby has a birth certificate."

"Thank you" Emma said as the nurse left the room, leaving the new family unit alone.

"I'm so proud of you,"

Emma rested her head on his shoulder. "I think its daddy's turn to hold his son."

Will was nervous about holding his infant son but smiled and took him into his arms. The nervousness left once he was holding Casey, and everything seemingly fell into place. He beamed down at his bundle of joy wrapped tightly in the blue blanket. He couldn't believe he'd helped create such a gorgeous creature.

He looked over to Emma who looked like she was about to fall asleep. He knew she should have a shower to get herself cleaned up before falling asleep. "I'll take Casey you go and get freshened up."

"I would but my legs feel like jelly," she told him.

"I'll get the nurse to come back so she can help you," he reached for the buzzer and pressed it.

The nurse walked into the room with someone else. "Is everything okay?"

"Emma needs help to have a shower and get cleaned up." Will told her.

The nurse smiled. "I was just coming back to ask if you wanted a shower. I also brought Anna with me so she can change your bed."

"Oh thank you." Emma smiled.

"I'll walk the corridors with Casey to give you girls some space, I'll be back soon love." Will smiled kissing Emma.

"Okay," she smiled watching him leave the room.

"Your husband seems like an amazing man," the nurse smiled as she helped Emma up from the bed.

"He is amazing. I've put him through a lot and he somehow still loves me," she said remembering their long history, which almost felt like a bad dream these days.

"You're lucky."

After Emma showered and dressed in fresh pyjamas, the nurse helped her back to the room where they discovered Will in a chair, staring down at a sleeping Casey. The nurse helped her settle into bed, walking out as the doctor returned.

"How is everyone?"

"Amazing," Will murmured not looking up from Casey.

"Tired," Emma added relaxing beneath the bed sheets, feeling her eyelids fluttering as sleep called to her.

"You'll be able to sleep once I check you over. Dad can fill the birth certificate while you sleep." she smiled at the new parents.

The doctor did a quick check of Emma and Casey, satisfied they were fine and that they'd be able to leave within a couple of days. Once they were alone again, Emma's head moulded against the pillow, shifting slightly as she looked over at Will talking quietly to their son. She realized she was lucky to have this moment, she'd come so close to losing everything and she never dreamed she'd get a second chance with Will. With those happy thoughts filling her head, she closed her eyes and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.


End file.
